Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Duque de Caxias Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Duque de Caxias

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,261 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $793 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,130 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,285 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,999 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,777 in Duque de Caxias, rent included.

Playa del Carmen costs about 59% more than Duque de Caxias, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Duque de Caxias are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 6% lower, Duque de Caxias 41% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.67 MX$202

$6.15 R$30.55

89.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.88 MX$726

$30.54 R$152

37.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.40 MX$180

$6.79 R$33.74

53.17%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$62.6

$1.89 R$9.40

91.01%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 MX$25.45

$1.35 R$6.69

8.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.80

$0.82 R$4.10

10.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$52.6

$1.78 R$8.86

70.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 MX$77.4

$2.35 R$11.70

90.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.83

$1.10 R$5.45

25.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.84 MX$31.93

$1.45 R$7.21

26.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.82

$1.29 R$6.42

24.81%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$44.52

$1.88 R$9.32

36.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$8.19 R$40.70

3.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$3.57 R$17.74

137.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 MX$190

$7.58 R$37.68

44.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.25

$2.23 R$11.08

22.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.92

$1.53 R$7.62

-1.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.93

$1.43 R$7.10

37.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$36.70

$1.60 R$7.97

32.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.30

$1.23 R$6.10

51.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.67

$0.97 R$4.82

123.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.59

$0.62 R$3.07

72.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$18.18

$0.64 R$3.19

64.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MX$72.6

$2.76 R$13.70

51.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.28 MX$178

$8.10 R$40.25

26.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$28.87

$1.23 R$6.12

35.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$43.12

$2.69 R$13.35

-7.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.94 R$4.68

-42.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.27 MX$455

$38.81 R$193

-32.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.8

$0.93 R$4.63

233.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 MX$42.66

$0.66 R$3.27

272.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$7.30 R$36.28

-55.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.83

$1.05 R$5.24

20.00%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.2K MX$522.8K

$13.4K R$66.8K

124.55%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.4K MX$406.3K

$17.6K R$87.3K

33.49%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$84.0 MX$1,456

$46.21 R$230

81.76%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.21 MX$385

$15.05 R$74.8

47.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.65 MX$514

$18.57 R$92.3

59.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.6 MX$912

$22.17 R$110

137.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 MX$318

$21.46 R$107

-14.54%

Cinema Ticket

$4.95 MX$85.7

$5.31 R$26.40

-6.78%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$198 MX$3,438

$311 R$1,546

-36.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,322 MX$92.2K

$6,940 R$34.5K

-23.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.95 MX$623

$56.8 R$282

-36.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$694

$35.34 R$176

13.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 MX$1,365

$87.1 R$433

-9.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 MX$1,499

$70.7 R$352

22.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$977 MX$16.9K

$321 R$1,596

204.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MX$8,158

$216 R$1,072

118.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,595 MX$27.6K

$586 R$2,912

172.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 MX$21.1K

$421 R$2,093

188.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,032 MX$69.9K

$1,680 R$8,352

139.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,579 MX$114.0K

$1,211 R$6,019

443.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$714 MX$12.4K

$297 R$1,475

140.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

10.92

4.58%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: April 19, 2026

Last update for Duque de Caxias: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $977 in Playa del Carmen versus $321 in Duque de Caxias. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 141% higher in Playa del Carmen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42 in Playa del Carmen versus $31 in Duque de Caxias. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $252 vs $181 – making Duque de Caxias the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Duque de Caxias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen costs about 59% more than Duque de Caxias, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,891 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,189 in Duque de Caxias. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Duque de Caxias, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 39% more in Playa del Carmen, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Playa del Carmen and $31.00 in Duque de Caxias. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Duque de Caxias, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,261. In Duque de Caxias it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Duque de Caxias costs $793 versus $1,261 in Playa del Carmen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Duque de Caxias. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Playa del Carmen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.